Pallas's grasshopper warbler, also known as the rusty-rumped warbler, is an Old World warbler in the genus Helopsaltes. It breeds in the eastern Palearctic: from the Altai Mountains, Mongolia and Transbaikalia to northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and islands in the Sea of Okhotsk. It is migratory, wintering from India eastward to Indonesia. It is a rare migrant in Sri Lanka.
Region
Eastern Palearctic
Typical Environment
Breeds from the Altai Mountains and Mongolia through Transbaikalia to northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and islands in the Sea of Okhotsk. In winter it ranges from the Indian subcontinent east to Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia. It favors dense, damp vegetation such as reedbeds, sedge marshes, wet meadows, and shrubby river margins. During migration it also uses rice paddies, overgrown ditches, and coastal scrub. It keeps low to the ground and rarely ventures into open areas for long.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the rusty-rumped warbler, it is a skulking Old World warbler that prefers dense grass and reeds. Its song is a rapid, insect-like ‘reel’ reminiscent of a grasshopper, often delivered at dawn and dusk. It breeds across the eastern Palearctic and migrates to South and Southeast Asia for the winter.
Locustella certhiola - MHNT
In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over vegetation
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season. Nests are placed low in dense grass or reeds, with a cup of fine stems and leaves. Males sing from concealed perches or low stems; both adults stay close to cover and slip away silently when disturbed.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A fast, mechanical, insect-like reeling trill, sustained and even, recalling a grasshopper. Calls include thin ticks and dry chatters given from cover, especially when agitated.
